Pentagon Cracks Down on GPS Software on Devices in Combat Zones

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon said on Monday that it was prohibiting American troops in combat zones from using GPS software on smartphones, watches, fitness bands and other electronic devices that could reveal their location.

The order goes into effect immediately. It stops short of an outright ban on bringing those electronic devices to global hot spots — but requires that the geolocation software generally be turned off.

“These geolocation capabilities can expose personal information, locations, routines and numbers of D.O.D. personnel, and potentially create unintended security consequences and increased risk to the joint force and mission,” the Pentagon said in a memo dated Aug. 3.

Worried that the data maps put troops at risk, the Pentagon said in late January that it was reviewing whether to give more training and guidance to military personnel about using GPS devices that could broadcast their location.

“We are continually adapting to new technologies and adjusting our policies,” Maj. Audricia Harris, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said on Monday.

The Pentagon memo that was released on Monday gives battlefield commanders authority to allow GPS software on devices on a case-by-case basis, after reviewing security risks.

For troops outside war zones, commanders will “consider the inherent risks associated with geolocation capabilities” before restricting the GPS devices.

The memo highlights another step in the Pentagon’s effort to understand and counteract forms of electronic warfare that have become increasingly prescient in recent years. China and Russia are among the top competitors seeking to exploit the American military’s reliance on technology.

The Pentagon has stopped the sale of phones from Huawei and ZTE, two of China’s largest technology firms, because of security risks. In Syria, the Russian military has jammed low-flying aircraft such as smaller drones and gunships, according to military officials.